


DelinquentStuck

by Milky Maelstrom (milkymaelstrom)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cussing, Drug Dealing, Drug Use, Drugs, Multi, Piercings, Polyamory, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-20
Updated: 2013-01-28
Packaged: 2017-11-26 04:54:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/646769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkymaelstrom/pseuds/Milky%20Maelstrom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John was roped in by a simple proposition: make a delivery and make a few hundred bucks. However, the situation doesn't turn out to be as simple as he's roped into a drug operation in order to return home. Living with Dave, Rose, and Jade, who are all criminals in their own right will be an interesting experience, one he's likely not to soon forget.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this because I wanted to write a modern drug-dealing scenario and when all else fails with an idea, I make it into a Homestuck fic. I intend for this one to be long, but who knows where it'll end up going. I sure as hell have no idea.

In true Egbert fashion, it took John up until that moment to realize he was in over his head.

No, he hadn't thought that when he left home in the middle of the night. He hadn't even thought of it when he fished out his wallet to pay for coffee and realized it wasn't there anymore, and neither was his phone. It took up until now, when he was in the filthy bathroom of a strip joint, to realize just how fucked he really was. 

He leaned up against the sink, cocooned in his old leather jacket, and looked into the mirror. It was chipped and cracked and smeared, like something out of Silent Hill, but he could still see his pale, ashen face stare back at him from the glass. What was he going to do? 

Looking down at his watch, the time gleamed up as 2:47. The meeting, the one he had spent two hours via metro, bus, and walking to get to, was less than fifteen minutes away. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to go. He was too hopeless to enjoy himself, or learn anything, or make any new partners. He was too soft to actually bite his lip and try to fix this mess. 

His fist slammed down on the sink hard enough to crack the cement that kept it plastered there. A moment later, a tall man in a uniform peeked in and asked if everything was all right in there.

“Nothing's wrong,” he responded, gritting through his teeth. He couldn't cry. Not in a place like this. 

A few moments after the worker peeked in, John gathered himself back up again. Packing his worries and thoughts away, he picked up his backpack off the floor, which was stained an awful color, and walked out into the club. 

The girls dancing didn't interest him. In fact, he had only ducked in here because it was one of the only places still open that didn't want any money to get in. As soon as he was out the door, the heat and lights and noise of the club disappeared, being replaced by the cold darkness of that winter night, the night he was set to meet them. 

He was only a few blocks away, and yet every step was a struggle. He didn't want to go. He didn't care anymore. All he cared about was getting back home to his dad and trying to get back what he had lost: a few dollars, his IDs, and his cell phone. But then again, he didn't know anyone else here. If he had any chance of getting out of this city, it would be through them.

Rounding the corner, he saw their meeting place. It was a park, only a couple of blocks in size, sandwiched among tall buildings and shops. Grassy expanses opened between brick paths on the unfenced plot, welcoming anyone at any time to walk under its streetlamps. It was by the fountain at the middle, which he could nearly make out from there, they were set to meet. 

Jogging in, they had yet to arrive. The fountain, which wasn't running at the moment, stood stoically, bathed in an eerie blue light from the colored bulbs embedded in the ground. Everything was lit from below and still, and it only served to unsettle John more as he waited uncomfortably. Every rustle and twitch of the trees made him jump and forced his heart to beat even faster than before. Being so on edge, he could barely be bothered by the way the cold air bit at his exposed face.

Maybe they weren't coming. Maybe this was an elaborate ruse put on by a team of extremely dedicated trolls out to scam him into a long trip. They were probably sitting in front of their computers now, giggling amongst themselves over Skype and wondering if he had really shown up. But then again, maybe someone would show up, someone else. Perhaps they were thieves or criminals, luring curious boys from the burbs into the middle of the park and robbing them for everything they had. And considering how little John now had, they would just end up killing him and stealing his watch. These trains of thought, and more, tumbled and bounced within Egbert's mind, tensing every muscle nearly to its breaking point. 

Then, they were there. 

John heard someone call for him on the other side of the fountain, and he jogged to meet them where they stood, three people he had never seen before in person. 

Two girls stood on either side of one guy. The girl to the right had long black hair and round glasses, and wore a cropped leather jacket over a green tank top that showed her midriff, ending on her hips with a short ripped skirt and striped tights. A trail of tattooed paw prints swirled up her side, and a silver tongue piercing was evident as she stuck out her tongue to mockingly meet John. 

The girl to the left looked much less enthusiastic, but still gave a quick smile under a pair of black angel bites. He hair was shorter, a white-blonde bob tucked behind her very pierced ears that ended before her black button-up dress, tied with a pink sash. The ends of her black thigh-highs peeked from the short hem, her legs seeming even longer with the addition of tall, chunky heels. 

Finally, the male in the middle, sporting a quaff of bright blond hair, crossed his arms over his patch-covered jacket. Skin-tight jeans, along with a bridge piercing and a pair of opaque black shades, completed his look to fit with the others. 

They were definitely the ones he was looking for. 

“John, right?” The one in the middle asked. 

“Yeah. And you're Dave?” 

The blond guy nodded. 

“And Jade and Rose?” 

The two girls also nodded. 

“I, uh, I'm glad you guys showed up. I was starting to get worried.” 

Dave laughed under his breath. 

“We wouldn't leave you out here by yourself. After all, fresh meat like you'll spoil quick,” Dave jested, the slightest hint of a Southern accent entwined with his words. 

“Yeah...and I kinda lost some of my stuff on the way here.” 

“That's unfortunate,” Rose sighed. 

“You've still got what we told you to bring though, right?” Dave pressed straight to the issue at hand. 

John nodded quickly and pulled one arm out of his backpack strap to show them until Strider held up his hand to halt him. 

“No need to pull it all out here. Now come on, let's head back to the Den.” 

Turning to leave, John quickly followed the trio, who strode with no fear in the pit of the night. Yes, these were surely the three he had been chatting with all these weeks, and they surely matched what they claimed to be. 

Somewhat perked up, Egbert smiled. Maybe things weren't so bad after all? Little did he know that a few lost things would be the least of his worries.


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already have this chapter and another pre-written. After that, I have not inkling of an update schedule. It'll probably be something like "when it's done." Anyway, comments and kudos are always appreciated.

The Den was about five blocks from the park, in the basement of an old, mostly unused building. The regality of the park area had quickly faded into the brokenness of most of the city, where boarded windows and missing doors were not uncommon. Down the set of steps, however, was another world. 

Dave unlocked the door with his keys and let the two ladies in, then John. Inside, he found a cozy living room swamped with pillows and bean bags chairs and blankets. Everything was so soft and warm that it almost melted together where the furniture (which was really just a couch and a love seat huddled in front of a TV) met the floor. In stark contrast, a kitchenette under blaring white lights was fit into one corner where the carpet turned into linoleum tile. It was cluttered with cooking vessels and tools. It was looked like they had tried to fit an entire restaurant into a cluster of cabinets. 

On the left was a hallway with four doors. One was open, showing a full bathroom that looked pretty clean, while the others were closed, each door marked with a name sign as to who owned it. Jade and Rose's were at the end of the hall, while Dave's was right across from the bathroom. 

The girls retreated to their rooms, while Strider headed to the living room, flopping down on the couch and gesturing for John to take the loveseat. In doing so, he set his bag on the ground, only to have it snatched up by Dave. 

The blond unzipped the bag and rifled through it until he found his prize, a small package wrapped in newspaper. Tossing it onto the table, he zipped the backpack back up and tossed it to John, who was a little peeved that Dave didn't bother to ask to have his gift now, but would never say a word. 

Dave then just sat and waited, leaning back to slouch against the couch. A few minutes later, the girls emerged from their rooms, Jade now in short shorts and the tank from earlier, while Rose was in her same thigh-highs, with the substitution of a black babydoll top for her dress. The two sat on opposite sides of Strider, the same sides they had taken earlier, and looked at the package, and then to Dave.

“Now, which one of you wants to open our present?” He asked.

Harley perked up, while Rose just shot Dave a condescending look. 

“Honors go to our pup.” 

At those words, Jade's hands shot for the package and ripped the paper off, revealing a small plastic container. Inside rattled a boat of pills, each small, but thick and round. Dave held out his hand and received the package from Harley, who seemed positively elated to have found what was under the packaging. Dave then took the top off the container and examined his load. It certainly looked like ecstasy. 

Then, without prompting, he reached in an took one of the pills from the stash and held it out towards John. Surprised, John shook his head and held up his hands to refuse. 

“Uh, no thanks,” he managed to get out. 

“Come on,” Dave insisted, “a little extra for the trouble you've gone through.” 

“Really, I'm fine, but thanks for-”

“Take it,” Strider commanded, the smile having disappeared from his face. 

John, too afraid to do anything else, took the pill from Dave and looked down at it. It seemed harmless enough...

In one motion, he swung his head back and clapped his hand to his mouth, downing the pill. Dave smirked at the site, glad to have found another that was obedient. 

“Good,” Strider cooed. “Now let Harley get you a glass of water before she comes with me.” 

He stood up. 

“I'll be in my room,” Dave told Rose, “come and get me when he starts feeling anything.” 

Rose nodded as Jade scurried over to the kitchen and fetched John a glass of water from the sink, which he took with a nod. She then hurried off to follow Dave into his room where they shut the door. 

John was now alone with the blond girl, who picked up the remote from the floor and turned on the TV. It was on a movie station, showing some chick flick. Rose wrapped herself in a fuzzy blanket and began to watch, stretching out on the couch, while John continued to sit awkwardly on the loveseat. 

After a few minutes, she spoke up. 

“So, what are you doing here?”

“What?” John asked in response, not sure of what she meant. 

“I mean you, specifically,” she turned to look at him, “you don't look like the kind that usually makes our deliveries.” 

“I wanted to make some money,” Egbert responded truthfully. 

“And now you've lost things. Will this make up for that?” 

“I don't know.” 

“And that wasn't really my question either,” she yawned. “I mean, why is someone like you doing this? Why you instead of just another punk? You're too clean for this.” 

“I heard about the job from a friend,” he lied. He had heard about this from someone he hated, but someone who still thought they were friends. 

“You still shouldn't be here. You're going to get eaten alive.” 

“I'm not as soft as I look.”

“I sure hope not,” she smirked, “because you look like a round of dough on a hot slab of asphalt at the moment. You're practically melting.” 

John frowned, but said nothing in response. He really didn't have a come back. It was pretty much true.

“What about you?” Egbert finally came back. “You don't sound like some street dealer and you certainly are too pretty to be one,” he blushed, only realizing how it sounded once it was out. 

Rose laughed in that soft voice of hers and smiled. 

“I guess my answer would begin with your own. I wanted to make a bit of cash.”

“Begin? Then how would it end?” 

“A positive look might be that I've made far better family here than where I was before. The negative one might be that I'm in no position to leave. Either way, I'm content with where I am now.”

“So...are you Dave's girlfriend or something?”

She laughed again. 

“Not in the slightest. Harley might fit that role better, though her title would likely be pet instead. Not to say that Dave and I have never engaged each other, but our footing is far more evened now.” 

“I see...I think,” John muttered. He was beginning to feel a bit strange, tingly and warm. He wasn't sure at all what to expect, but he definitely felt different. 

“So, do you intend to leave in the morning, or will you be joining us for a while?” Rose asked, turning most of her attention back to the television.

“Well, I don't know. I wanted to leave, but now I don't have any money.”

“You weren't paid for our little exchange?” She pondered, cocking her head to one side. 

“I got paid before I came here. It's all in my account now, which is probably being emptied by whoever's got my card.” 

“Unfortunate. Perhaps you could strike up a deal with Strider? If you help out for a few days, perhaps you can earn enough money to go home.”

“Really?” John inquired. 

“I can ask for you if you'd like.”

“Yes! Thank you so much, Rose.” 

“It's no problem.”


	3. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on the next chapter, but this story is one of those kind that are hard to eke out. Any comments, questions, and suggestions can be left at the bottom. Kudos and comments are always appreciated!

In the weeks prior to John's fateful trek into the city, he had been planning their meeting in a painstaking manner. 

After overhearing a conversation from a former friend, one who he had assumed was lost to him, he managed to go online and track the employment opportunity he'd caught wind of. A package of 'goods' needed to be hand delivered, and whoever did it would make a few hundred dollars doing it. That sounded easy enough. 

So, he contact the user, TurntechGodhead, to ask about it. 

Before he knew it, John was skyping with the three housemates often, voice-chatting with one while busily IMing the others. While he learned little about each of them, they had in turn learned quite a bit about him, grilling him about who he was an what he was like. He guessed they needed to make sure he was trustworthy and not a 'narc', as they called it. 

Even though the process was more like a harsh interview than anything else, he had still grown some attachment to the three, particularly Rose. And while none of them were willing to talk about themselves much, especially their pasts, Lalonde dropped hints and hewn phrases that let him into her world. For every piece of the puzzle he learned little, he gained a greater thirst for knowledge about her. She was fascinating. 

When the time finally came for him to start his journey, he sneaked out of his home and walked over to the parking lot of his old high school. There, a man in a dark hoodie waited to hand him the already-wrapped package and then disappeared. 

John then caught a bus to the metro, then the metro to a certain station, and took the last bus running that night into the heart of the city. Finally, as he got off the bus, he realized in just what kind of deep shit he was in and went into the strip club to think in the warmth. 

Until that point of sheer panic, when he knew he was pretty fucked, everything seemed fine, even exciting. He was being dangerous and making money and felt like a total badass. Plus, in the process, he would get to meet three very interesting people he could nearly call friends. 

Now, however, things seemed exciting again. 

John slouched in the cozy living room chair, looking straight up. The popcorn ceiling was forming intricate patterns that only he could see, swirling and bubbling out of the textures. Rose was giggling to herself on the couch beside him, watching as he stared. The way his eyes darted around, mouth hung open in a huge grin, it was like he was watching a beautiful fireworks display. 

A few moments later, she stood up and walked across the living room. John fixed his gaze on her, watching as she shifted across the floor. Every movement was graceful and precise. He knew that his fascination was now due to the drugs, but he didn't care. She was immaculate. 

Rose knocked on Dave's door, who took a moment to answer. He was now shirtless, showing off a tattoo of katana with kanji symbols engraved in the blade, as well as a wealth of white scars that crisscrossed his abdomen. Some were long and thin, while others were short and thick. They were all clearly old, however, none being younger than two or three years at least. 

Lalonde said something to Strider, something John couldn't make out over the sound of the TV, and Dave smiled. Then, leaving his room without getting dressed, he headed over to John. 

“How do ya feel?” Dave asked, arms akimbo. 

“Good?” John answered, unsure of himself. 

“So, Rose tells me you want to work here for a few days. Enough to make it home.”

Egbert nodded. 

“I think I can manage that. It's Saturday, well Sunday now, so how about you work until Friday. The weekdays are slow, so you're gonna work a little longer. But if you do that and you don't screw up, I'll give you more than enough to get home. Maybe even enough to replace what you lost. Sound good?”

John nodded again, this time a bit more enthusiastically. 

“Awesome. You'll start whenever I wake up tomorrow. Then you're gonna work. But just know one thing...” 

Dave bent over, his nose nearly touching the tip of John's.

“If you fuck with me, you're gonna pay for it.” 

John said nothing in response, swallowing down his fright. Dave, who seemed decently friendly, clearly had a steely strength buried in him, one he was more than willing to use if the situation called for it. Egbert knew it was best to stay on his good side. 

“Good,” Dave stood and smiled again. “And it seems like what you delivered is the real deal, so we're all buds here. I'll let Rose get back to sitting you. I have a Harley to ride.” 

Strider laughed at his own joke, to which Rose just smirked, and went back into his room. Returning to her seat, Rose flicked off the TV and turned to John, who was now feeling very hazy but good. 

“So,” she began,“I will assume you've never rolled before?” 

“Huh? Oh, uh, no.” 

“As I thought. Is it as nice as you thought it would be.”

“It's good but, I guess I never thought about it,” John cooed and giggled. 

“Didn't tap into the stash? Good boy. Then again, you might not even know what it was. Are you familiar with E?”

“Not really.”

“Well, you're going to experience euphoria, you'll feel oddly connected to the cosmos, and you might even hallucinate. You'll probably also feel very affectionate and possibly get turned on.”

“Sounds great!”

“Well, not so fast. You're also going to feel pretty terrible when you come down.”

“Still, I feel good now.” 

“Wonderful,” Rose yawned, sprawling out again, “feeling anything else?”

“I feel really warm.”

“It'll do that.”

“And I feel like I want to talk to everyone.”

“That's normal.”

“And I guess I am feeling turned on,” John stated with very little apprehension. 

“Another side effect is being more open to everyone. I can see you've hit that mark.”

Suddenly, John was feeling very excited and could barely sit still in his chair. He wanted to run and dance and fuck someone. 

“Hey Rose,” he called. 

“Yes?”

“What are Dave and Jade doing?”

“Probably having sex.”

“Okay. Can we go to your room?”

“I guess so,” she responded blankly. 

The two got up and Rose led them to the bedroom beside the bathroom. Rose's room was also very cozy, a queen sized bed piled with expensive pillows and comforters fit snugly in the corner with an accompanying bedside table. A closet opened on the back wall, overflowing with dresses and other clothes, next to a bookshelf packed with tomes of all colors and sizes. Finally, a pile of yarn and knit clothing sat in the right hand corned, waiting to be worked on. 

Rose entered and sat on her bed, inviting John to do the same. As soon as he was planted on the blankets, he reached over and stroked her cheek, then kissed her. Or, well, he tried to kiss her. Rose immediately pushed him away. 

“What are you doing?” 

“I'm trying to, ya know, get with you.”

“John, you're high. You can't make decisions like that now. Besides, we've just met.”

“We know each other! We've been talking for weeks. You told me all kinds of stuff and you know all kinds of stuff about me!”

“Really? Then where did I grow up?” Rose interrogated him. 

“I don't know, but-”

“Was I home-schooled, or did I go to public school?”

“Well, I don't think-”

“Who did I live with? Who raised me? Why did I leave? Why am I really here with Dave?” 

John didn't say anything, instead just hanging his head. Rose put her arm around him in sympathy. 

“I like you John. You're not a bad person. We just don't know each other well enough and you're not sober. Maybe I'm being a bit prudish, but I don't want to have sex with you right now.”

“Okay,” he conceded, crossing his arms and pulling in his shoulders to appear as small as possible. 

“Come on, everything's fine,” Rose tried to console him, “don't let yourself get down just because of this. Now, let's go do something really fun.” 

Interest piqued once again, John followed Rose as they left her bedroom, quickly passing by Dave's room from which music was now playing loudly, and went into the kitchen. Egbert just stood and watched as Lalonde opened the fridge, which was also filled to the brim, and retrieved a bottle of chocolate syrup. 

“Do you like chocolate milk?” Rose asked. 

“Yeah?” John responded, not sure where this was going. 

Rose said nothing more as she pulled out a jug of milk and poured him a glass, then mixed in the syrup until the liquid was a deep mocha color. She then handed it to John and smiled, motioning for him to down it. 

He did, and it was wonderful. Egbert had just discovered the joy of consuming delicious things while high. Before he could even put the glass down, it was empty. 

The two then had an interesting and fun time as John proceeded to sample just about everything they had in the fridge from Chinese leftovers to cherries, everything except the alcohol, which Rose said wasn't a great idea while he was rolling. 

By the time they were done, John was starting to develop a stomach ache and asked to lay down. Rose directed him to the couch where he would be sleeping, and asked if he was ready to go to sleep. Feeling dizzy and a bit nauseous, he nodded and curled up under a pile of blankets. He felt like he was on a trampoline, bouncing up and down even though he wasn't actually moving. 

Rose decided not to pester him anymore and simply turned off all the lights, heading to her room to sleep.


	4. Four

The next morning, John was awake long before anyone else. Though he couldn't tell what time it was from just looking around, as there were no windows in the underground apartment, after getting up for a glass of water, he discovered it was just after eleven. 

He hadn't gotten much sleep, but he was always an early riser and even eleven was considered late by him. Still, he certainly wished he could sleep more, since there was nothing to do. Eventually he wandered back over to the couch and turned on the TV, making sure the volume was low enough not to wake anyone up. 

Rose was right about what she had said last night, he didn't feel too great right now. His head was clouded and fuzzy with an odd, empty feeling. Still, it wasn't all too bad considering what he thought it would be like. He wasn't sure how much he could actually attribute to the drugs and what was from an otherwise stressful night ending with a short and restless sleep. 

He could remember waking up a few times, jolting as he discovered his surroundings, then calming back down and slumbering again when he hazily remembered just where he was and how he got there. His night was also rife with odd dreams of colors and shapes and movement, though he couldn't remember just what they were about by the time he remembered he had them at all. 

Flicking through the stations, nothing looked interesting. At this time in the morning, it was all news and gospel programs, broken up occasionally by a reality show rerun or infomercial. Even the cartoon stations were trash, only showing programs for young children. Nothing was captivating, so he settled on a news station and zoned out. 

One of the first things he thought about was his father, and a pang of guilt ran through him to the pit of his stomach. He hadn't even left a note the night before, so his dad was probably sick over him going missing. Now he didn't have a phone and couldn't call to say he was all right. John knew he was in big trouble when he got home. 

He didn't want to think about it. Worrying wouldn't solve his problems, so he tried to push the issue to the back of his mind, even though it still festered and made him feel ill. He was here for another five days, so he would just have to deal with it. Five days, he thought, that was a long time, the longest time he could remember being away from home that wasn't vacation. He thought for a moment that maybe this was sort of like a vacation, but then he remembered that he would be working and that certainly made this something different. 

Eventually he needed to use the bathroom, so he got up and walked quietly into the room across from Dave's bedroom. The bathroom looked pretty normal with a sink, toilet, and tub. It must be difficult living for the three, he thought, sharing one bathroom, especially with all of them obviously attentive to their appearances. If the shower ever broke it could lead to war. 

Walking out a moment later, he heard something strange. It wasn't the TV, which was barely audible from where he was. It was humming of some sort coming from the end of the hall. With nothing better to do, he padded softly away from the bathroom and listened. Yes, it certainly was someone humming to themselves, a female someone. The room it seemed to be coming from the Jade's, who was the only one with a light on. 

John stood still for a moment, not sure what to do. He didn't want to bother Jade, but he also didn't want to just sit in the living room until whenever he was needed. Gulping down his apprehension, he knocked softly on Jade's door. 

“Come in,” she called from within.

John opened the door to find a strange but Harley-apt room. The only recognizable furniture was a bed with blue cloud-patterned sheets and a desk with a folding chair; but the room was far from empty. Her walls were plastered with all kinds of posters from old animated shows and art prints of anthropomorphic animals. She had a deep fascination with plushes, he noted, as they littered her floors, particularly those from an old show featuring doe-eyed molluscs. There were also a number of college-level science and math books scattered around, most looking very worn and used. The last thing that was evident was a large, pristine-looking bass guitar, which leaned against the closet doors on the opposite wall. 

Jade was sitting on her bed, typing away on a laptop. Smiling, she was wearing the same tank top and shorts from the night before, and her hair looked thoroughly disheveled. 

“What's up, John?” Harley asked, not even bothering to look away from her computer. 

“Uh, not much,” he replied, palming the back of his neck, “I just woke up and I don't think anyone else is awake.”

“Nope,” she smiled. “Dave is still snoozing and Rose is probably too.”

“So why are you up then?”

“I dunno, couldn't sleep more, I guess.” 

She finished typing and closed her laptop. 

“Was there something you needed?” She probed. 

“Uh, not really,” John muttered, regretting the decision to knock afterall, “I was just maybe wondering when the others would get up.”

“Well, Rose should be awake soon, Dave'll probably sleep til at least one, maybe later.”

“All right,” John swallowed nervously, “thanks then.”

“No problem. Oh, and if you get hungry, go ahead and find something to eat. I'm sure Dave wouldn't mind.” 

John nodded and smiled, then turned and left, closing the door behind him. As he walked away, he heard Jade begin to hum sweetly again. She was nice, he thought, a very friendly girl. She was almost someone he could imagine growing up with, if it wasn't for her tattoos and piercings. Well, not that he really minded them, he just wasn't used to seeing people with a decent degree of body modification. The most he saw in the burbs were ear piercings. 

Walking back into the living room and taking a seat on the couch, he started thinking of the night before. His memory was predictably blurred, but he remembered feeling fantastic, even just sitting down and talking to Rose. Rose, he thought, now there was a sweet girl. And he had made an absolute fool of himself in front of her. 

His face went hot with embarrassment at the thought of what he had done last night, trying to “get with her” like the total idiot he was. Now, the prospect of seeing her this morning wasn't so exciting. 

And as though she had some sort of unfortunate precognition, Rose opened her door just as John was most flustered and walked out, stretching. She didn't bother to even greet him as she walked into the kitchen and looked for breakfast. This was not a good sign. 

John stood, completely at a loss for what to do, and searched frantically for a plan of action. He found nothing. 

“Oh, good morning, John,” she finally said as she spotted him standing from the kitchen. 

“Morning,” he replied, his voice cracking awkwardly. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Okay.”

“That's good. Not feeling too nasty after last night?” 

“N-no,” he stuttered, flustered at her wording. 

“That's to be expected, I guess. It was only your first time.” 

John was frozen. 

“Is something wrong?” 

“I, uh, no,”

“Are you sure?” She stepped closer, looking worried. 

“I, um,” he bit his lip and the bullet at the same time,” I just wanted to say sorry for last night is all.”

“Oh,” she laughed, “is that all?”

John nodded. 

“No need to apologize. You were high. I of all people understand.”

“I still feel bad about everything.”

“It's fine, seriously. It's not like you tried to force yourself on me. You stopped when it became clear I didn't share your feelings and that's all I can expect. It was quite cute, actually.”

He went flush again. 

“But I'll stop teasing you,” she smirked, turning back to the kitchen. 

John went and sat back down again, not exactly sure how to feel. He felt as though Rose was purposefully trying to lead him on, but, being as romantically-declined as he was, just couldn't parse out what was happening. 

A few minutes later, and after much rummaging through the kitchen's cramped compartments, Rose left the kitchen with a plate of leftover crepes on a serving tray and sat on the loveseat.

“What are those?” John asked, genuinely interested in the oddly formal meal Rose was enjoying as she ate with plastic utensils. 

“Strawberry-filled crepes with syrup and banana slices,” she answered between bites. “We had our weekly breakfast-for-dinner last night and it was my turn to cook, so I made crepes.”

“Sounds fantastic,” John swallowed, his mouth watering. 

“There's more in the fridge if you want,” Rose gestured towards the kitchen. 

John slowly shook his head. He really didn't want to overstay his welcome by diving into their leftovers. He could last a while without food, he thought. 

The two sat silently, watching the barely audible television. Rose seemed to actually pay attention to the news, unlike John who was simply staring into the abyss and thinking of nothing at all. When Rose was finished, she stood and went into the kitchen, putting her plate into the dishwasher. 

“Do you want me to go wake up Dave so you can get started?” Lalonde asked. 

“No, it's fine, I'll wait for him to get up.”

“Nonsense, he's slept quite enough,” she protested, walking over to Dave's door. 

John tried to stop her, but before he could get a word out, she was pounding on his door. 

A loud crash came from inside the room, then a few smaller thuds, and finally Dave was at the door, this time only wearing his heart-patterned boxers. 

“What the ever-loving fuck is it that you want?” Strider yelled frantically. 

“Oh, I didn't know you were still sleeping,” Rose deadpanned. 

Dave shot the most death-inducing glance he could possibly muster, but Rose was unaffected, turning and walking away to her room as though she had done nothing wrong. Strider, who was still dazed from the rude awakening, rubbed his eyes and looked into the living room, spotting Egbert. 

“All right, kid,” he started, stretching until his back cracked, “as soon as I'm not naked, we're going out. Get ready.”


	5. Five

John had suited up, which really meant he put his shoes and jacket on, then waited for Dave to get ready. It took about as long as he expected, which was a lot longer than it would have taken him to get ready, but he wasn't too worried about his appearance. Dave finally exited wearing a pair of tight black jeans and a blazer-like jacket over a t-shirt. He wasn't as flashy as the night before, but his line of work didn't really call for flash. 

Without a word to Egbert, Strider headed for the door, letting his new temp follow him out. Once outside, Dave motioned for John to stick close as the two walked wordlessly down the street, which looked even more run-down during the day time. The area was like a ghost town now. No one was out on their porches or walking their dogs. The sight was alien to John, who was used to seeing his fellow suburbianites out and about on such a nice, temperate day. There weren't even too many cars on this street. It unsettled him. 

“We're going to make a deal right now,” Dave finally spoke up, not speaking too loudly. 

“What am I going to do?” John asked, getting straight to the point.

“You're going to stand next to me, look tough, and not say a damn thing.”

“So I'm your bodyguard?”

“Correction,” Dave smirked, “faux bodyguard. You're not going to actually do anything, unless, of course, things turn ugly.”

“You're thinking they might?”

“I have no idea. I haven't dealt with this client before, and this is a big job. We're dumping off half of what you brought yesterday.”

“You're selling that much already?” John was shocked. “Who would ever need that much?”

“Not one person, Egderp,” Dave began. “This is another distributor, farther down the chain. They're buying a good chunk of my stash in wholesale so they can go sell their own singles. I'm making practically nothing on each pill, but I'll make a bundle on the bunch. The rest of our load will probably just be doled out to dosers and maybe a few friends.”

“It sounds like a real business,” John thought aloud. 

“That's because it is. Just because it ain't legal doesn't mean it's not a life. I've been dealing in this city for three years now and I was dealing in Houston long before that.”

“But you're so young-”

“I'm 21 now. That's a lot older than half the kids in this game,” he stated somewhat sternly. “Anyway, my past's not important. Back to the deal. The kid we're selling to is a newbie in this town, but I hear he used to deal down South. I don't think he's a pussy, and that's why you're here. If he decides to make a dumb move like pull a knife or worse, you're gonna take him down.”

John's dread worsened now, having began when his role as the bodyguard was first announced. The knife part was already bad, but it was the 'or worse' that made him feel like he already had a bullet buried in his stomach. 

“But I don't think it'll get that far. Likely this kid is just some new mouthbreather but if he's actually competent this will be a good step towards forging a new relationship. This business is all about who you know.”

After a few more blocks, they arrived to their destination, the alley behind an old abandoned gas station. This area was a bit more congested, a main thoroughfare crossing from the edge of town into the heart running by. In the oil-slicked shadow of the retro-styled, rusting building, they stopped and waited for their client to arrive. 

John tried his best to look as tough as he could, standing up tall and tensing his jaw, but it all felt so weird and fake. He doubted he could fool anyone into thinking he was tough with his soft arms and nice shoes. He looked like an out-of-shape Klein model for god's sake. He was a year's worth of theater school away from being a background character in High School Musical. How anyone could ever think he was a force to be reckoned with-

And then he arrived. A short, curly-hair punk in a dirty sweatshirt rambled up, hands buried in his front pockets. He looked young, still in braces with a pock-marked face. He asked if Dave had 'the stuff', to which Dave nodded and rattled something in his pocket. 

“Do you have the cash?” Dave questioned in return. 

“Yeah, well, I only got about $150, but that's-”

“I didn't ask what fucking pocket change you had,” Dave sniped, already looking visibly pissed at the thought of being short-changed. 

“Come on man, that's all I've got. Just gimme like 300 and we'll be good, that's like 50 cents-”

“No, we had an agreement. You give me the 250 in full or I'm walking back with everything in my pocket.”

“I don't fucking have 250, I just told you. I have 150 and that's it. Don't be a dick and just gimme 300.”

“Don't make me sic my dog on you,” Dave gestured to John, who didn't like where this was going but tried to do his best to look tough. 

“This is bullshit. I knew what I heard about you was true. You're a fucking thief.”

“Shut him up,” Dave elbowed John in the side to go ahead and do his job. 

John, however, looked clueless. He wasn't just going to beat up some random kid who didn't have enough money. 

“What, this geek?” The kid growled, balling his fists. 

“Come on, John, knock some sense into him!” Dave commanded. 

Before Egbert could protest again, the kid let out a yell and rushed forward, knocking into him with what little force he had. John, however, had about a foot of height and at least fifty pounds on the kid, so he didn't even budge. Figuring he wasn't the one to start the fight made it fair, he pushed the kid back, readying an attack. 

He wouldn't get that far though, since the kid slipped on the oiled-slicked pavement and fell back, knocking his head on the ground. He was out cold the moment he touched down. 

John stood in a stunned silent at what he had done, never having been in a fight before. Soon, he was flooded with exhilaration and visibly shook. 

“Down boy,” Dave chuckled, “don't get too excited. That wasn't too fair. I mean, you're bigger than him and I guess he had poor traction.” 

“Not fair? You were the one who told me to do it!”

“Touche, I guess. Anyway, we better get out of here, there's not a cent to be made off this stiff.”

“We can't just leave him here,” John protested, brows furrowed. 

“Fine,” Dave acquiesced, kneeling down to the kid.

He reached into the kids pocket and took out his phone, dialing 911 before wiping his prints off, then tossed it to the side. He got up to leave then knelt again, reaching into the kid's pocket once more and grabbing a wad of cash. A quick count showed it to be 250 dollars. As though in spite, Dave stood and took the baggie of pills from his pocket, opened it, and dumped it out on the groaning kid, then quickly walked away with John. 

“You think he'll be all right?” Egbert asked. 

“He'll be fine. The operator'll trace his phone and the they'll get there eventually. He probably won't even remember what happened and the cops'll just think he was some kind of druggie with all those pills.” 

John looked down, hands in his pocket. His initial rush had quickly worn off and now all he felt was shame. 

“Come on,” Dave nudged him, “don't be that way. The guy was a little prick and he got what he deserved. Besides, he was the one who came at you, lying little wannabe thug.”

“How did you know he was lying?” 

“Didn't, but I figured since I can't trust him, I might as well push him to give me what we agreed upon. I probably woulda struck a deal if he wasn't such a douche, or if I actually knew him.”

“But didn't you say earlier you wanted to start a new relationship with this guy?” 

“Yeah, but fuck that. He's just some rich kid who tried to make a rep for himself. He'll be out of the game after his mommy bales him out. Now, if he was real, and I can tell when they're real, then I might have done things a little different. First rule of business though,” Dave smirked, pushing up his glasses, “protect number one.”


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't update because I took a break and couldn't be bothered to write. In apology, here's a big chapter. More to come soon. As always, kudos and comments are always appreciated. I'll read and try to respond to anything I get, so feel free to say something.

“How did it go?” Rose asked from the kitchen where she was sipping a cup of tea. 

“Punk tried to short us, but John took him down. Still got the cash.”

“Delightful,” Rose replied, taking another draw from her teacup. 

“What's for dinner?” Dave asked, flopping down on the couch as John took off his coat and shoes. 

“I should be asking you the same. It's Sunday, my week ended last night,” she reminded him.

“Right. Take-out then. Chinese tonight, or Thai?”

“I'll settle for either.” 

“Okay, Harley will decide. Egbert, go ask the gal what she wants.” 

John nodded and walked back to Jade's room, knocking on the door. 

“Uh, what is it?” Jade called, sounding exasperated.

“Uh, Dave wants to know if you want Chinese or Thai,” John stated, leaning closer to the door. 

“Chinese,” she replied with a squeal. 

He then walked back and to deliver the answer, a little concerned. 

“She said Chinese,” John informed Dave. “Is, uh, Jade all right? She sounded kinda...weird when I asked.”

“She's probably just doing one of her shows. She's fine. Making cash.”

As soon as John realized the implication of the answer, his face went flush again, ears burning. 

“What, you didn't think Dave's little pharmaceutical adventure was our only source of income, did you?” Rose smiled. 

John half-shrugged. 

“No, Jade has her net shows. Makes quite the pretty penny from it as well,” Lalonde informed. 

“Yep,” Dave chimed in, channel-surfing, “she's got a cute face and she looks young as hell. She does real well.” 

“So if Dave sells drugs and Jade does her video stuff, what do you do Rose?” John asked. 

Dave and Rose both laughed. 

“I'm an author,” she responded. 

“Uh, really?” 

“Of course,” she grinned, “we have to account for our income somehow.”

“Oh,” John understood. 

“But I really do write,” Rose continued, “I just don't sell many books.” 

“All right, enough chit chat, let's order,” Dave sat up, taking his phone from his pocket. “Rose, you write everything down since you're the famous wordsmith. I'm having an order of orange chicken and a wonton soup. Figure out what you and Harley want.” 

“And John,” Rose added. 

“Not unless he can come up with money to pay for it,” Dave frowned. 

“I'll pay,” she retorted, looking to Egbert, “so what do you want?” 

“Oh no, I'm good, really. I don't need anything.”

“You haven't eaten since you've arrived. You're going to feel terrible.” 

“I can't pay you back,” he frowned. 

“I'm well aware.”

“Come on, Egbert,” Dave goaded him, “eat. I can't have you passing out on the job.”

“I thought you didn't want him to eat,” Rose snarked. 

“Not on my ticket. On yours? I don't care if he orders the lobster.” 

“I'm pretty sure the Chinese take-out we order from doesn't have lobster. Anyway, John, what would you like?”

“Whatever you order's fine,” he finally said. 

Rose nodded and jotted down the rest of their order. 

“I'm assuming Jade will have her usual,” she added as she handed the note to Dave. 

“Sure, not unless Egbert's willing to go back and ask.”

John quickly shook his head and both of the blonds laughed. 

As soon as Dave was done ordering, he headed back into his bedroom and shut the door. John replaced him on the couch as Rose joined him, taking her place again on the loveseat in a recreation of the night before. 

“You really are even more naive than I thought,” Rose cooed. 

“Huh?” John snapped out of his daze. 

“You've never done a drug in your life, you probably didn't fight quite like Dave described, and you're all embarrassed over hearing Jade fuck herself for the webcam.” 

John stayed silent, blushing. 

“Just as I thought. You're probably still even a virgin.”

He didn't reply. 

“Oh my,” Rose recoiled, “I was just teasing you, I didn't think I would be right. Now I'm really wondering how you ended up here. How did you even find the nerve to take such a chance?”

“I'm not a coward,” John frowned. “Just because I haven't had the chance to do any of this stuff before doesn't mean I'm scared of it.” 

“I never doubted that,” she backed off. “I guess I'm just so jaded that any first time jitters come as a shock to me. Though, I was once new too, in a situation much like your own. Out of the three, I can probably relate the most.”

“The others weren't new once?” John asked. 

“Well, yes, but in different ways. Dave, well, from what slices of the story I've gleaned over the years, he was sort of raised in this sort of situation. He never really was new. Jade? I'm not too sure about her. I don't think any of us are.” 

“So how did you come into this? You asked me the same question last night, how did someone like you end up in a situation like this?” 

“That's a long story,” she yawned, curling up in the loveseat. 

“I have time, if you're willing to tell.”

“All right. I came here because I was unhappy where I was.”

“That wasn't a very long story after all,” John declared after a moment of silence. 

“That was a simplified version. You're going to have to get me drunk to hear the longer one.”

“So then let's drink.”

Rose went quiet, then sighed.

“That's...ill-advised,” she finally lamented. 

“Why?” John frowned. 

“Well,” Rose paused, “never mind. Let's drink.” 

Leaving John a bit confused, Rose stood and walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and pulled out a bottle of cherry vodka. Eventually, Egbert rose and cautiously approached the blond, who was pulling out two tall glasses from the cabinet. In one she dropped a handful of ice cubes from the freezer, poured in two inches or so of vodka, then filled the glass to the brim with cranberry juice. She handed this drink off to John, who sipped it slowly, gagging at the still very apparent alcohol. 

In the other glass she dropped only a couple of cubes, poured about twice the vodka, and topped it off with juice. She then walked past John and curled up on the loveseat, turning up the volume on the TV. Long draws from her glass didn't even garner a wince. 

It wasn't long before the two were both finished with their glasses, John having to forcibly down his and Rose casually imbibing her own as though it was water. She then went and poured two more drinks, heavier on both. 

John had drank a few times before; beers with his friends, a cocktail once at a family party, and even shared a shot with his dad when he turned eighteen. Still, he was far from used to the bitter taste and couldn't imagine doing this often. By the end of his second drink, he was feeling quite tipsy, slightly slurring his words. 

“Rose? You fellin' okay?” John asked. 

“Wonderful!” She giggled. 

Rose was not a small girl, but she wasn't on the heavy side either, and that amount of alcohol in her empty stomach was causing her to get much more intoxicated much faster. By the time the doorbell rang and Dave came out to pay for their food, she was nearly falling out of her seat. 

Jade came out of her room at Dave's call, wearing a baggy, sweat-slicked t-shirt, then returned just as quickly down the hall. Dave took his own, then leaned against the counter to eat, slurping his soup. John stood up, staggered for a moment, then retrieved went meal. 

“What'd you order?” John called back to Rose. 

“Lemon chicken 'n white rice,” she replied, slurring heavily. 

Dave looked to John, then to Rose, then back to John. 

“You didn't,” Strider stated flatly. 

“What?” Egbert cocked his head. 

“You didn't make her drink, did you?” 

“She did it of her own vol, volin, volit...she did it by herself.”

“And she got you to drink too,” he smirked, “figures.”

“Is that a bad thing?” 

“I'm not getting into this,” he brushed off the question, closing his soup container and grabbing the rest of his meal. “You're gonna deal with the consequences this time.” 

Dave then left without another word, ignoring John's malformed attempts to question what was going on. Left in the room alone with Rose, who was now sitting with her legs over the back of the chair and her head hanging down over the edge of the seat, he felt very awkward. 

This awkwardness was compounded by the fact that he could see up her skirt and view her pale lilac panties. Gulping and looking away, he grabbed the now half-empty take-out bag and brought it over to the coffee table, setting it down between the two of them. 

Rose struggled to get up right, then dove into the bag, retrieving the clear-topped container that held the meat and the handled cardboard container that held the rice, as well as a plastic fork. Diving in, she forewent her normal, mannerly eating habits, choosing to dig in and chow down. John took the remaining contents of the bag and slid them onto the table, then ate his matching order. 

“You know,” Rose started while still chewing, “we used to have a real table. Seriously! We had a nice wood table and we'd all eat at it but that's gone. Dave set it on fire because he's a careless jackbag asshole and now it's gone.”

“That sucks,” John said, taking on the role as the listener in this drunken conversation. 

“Yeah! He ruins all the nice stuff we get. All of them. He's got money to get nice clothes and new tattoos and he doesn't do shit for this house. He just bought Jade that new guitar she barely touches but he won't drop a bill for us to get a good fucking table again. Any table! Not even a good one. Just something we can eat off 'cause I won't eat in my room like a slob. Fucking philistines.” 

John nodded along, barely catching half of what she said. It seemed that beneath her usual calm exterior, Rose harbored a lot of antagonism. What would usually only be revealed through dead-pan snark, sarcasm, and petty acts was now blaring out like a siren. 

“And you know he won't let me fucking live down what happened last time I drank. He keeps leaving notes in my drawers for me to find and sends the pictures in emails just when I repress it. I swear,” she leaned in towards John, stage-whispering, “I'm gonna sneak into his room one night when he's out and just wipe his hard drive so he can't use that ever again as blackmail,” she returned to her normal volume, “cause without me he would be nothing but a dirty, drug-dealing Cretan with nothin' to keep him from being snatched up by the cops. He might have the face and the fake aggression but,” she started shouting, “I'm the brains of this all!”

Once she had finished, Rose fell back in the loveseat and panted, out of breath. John had no clue what to say in response and just continued eating while she recovered. He really didn't know much about the arrangements they had set up, nor about this apparent previous debacle the last time she drank (though he could begin to understand just what might have started the disaster), and couldn't offer an opinion without fear of offense. 

Finally, Lalonde sighed and stood, then shakily plodded over to the kitchen, pouring herself another drink. Egbert followed, speaking up. 

“Are you sure you want another?” He asked as the ice cubes clinked at the bottom of her glass. 

“Course I do,” she poured in a generous amount of vodka, “if I stop now I'll still be angry. I don't want to be angry. I don't want to be anything.” 

John stepped forward and grabbed her arm as she went to knock back the glass, forgoing the mixer this time. 

“Hey, come on, don't talk like that,” he said, holding onto her wrist. 

Rose frowned, then set the glass down to escape his grasp. 

“You got me this way 'cause you wanted to hear why I left, right? Why I'm here?”

John nodded. 

“Fine,” she stated coldly, then went back to the living room and sat down, turning off the TV. 

“You asked for this, so here it is.”


	7. Seven

Rose had, for as long as she could remember, been alone. 

Her mother, who was her only parent, only family, was a scientist, working very long hours and often not even coming home. When she was not at her office, or testing experiments in the basement, she was seldom sober. A well-stocked bar took up much of her bedroom, if you could even call it a bedroom, and the bottles never waned, only being replaced. 

Though Rose could not complain about her home, for it was far more lavish than anything Dave or Jade had ever had, no amount of plush furniture or trendy decorations could make up for the fact that everything felt so empty. Her mother, who had deemed public schools too low-brow for her own kin, had chosen to enroll Rose in online home education after only kindergarten, in which Rose had phenomenally excelled.

And though it allowed the young Lalonde to work at her own astounding level and pace, it had the double-edged effect of keeping her from anyone her age, and in fact anyone at all. Sure, her mother tried to sate her daughter's social appetite at first. She took her to functions and play groups, events for children being home-schooled and all. But after a while, and after seeing the droves of evangelical home-schoolers who flocked to these events, she slowly stopped ferrying Rose back and forth and encouraged her to stay in her room. 

As her mother's alcoholism blossomed into a wilted bloom of problems that often left her passed-out on the floor, little Rose's need for interaction waned. Like a starved animal, her want for what she so naturally craved died by the time she was sixteen. 

At that point, the most contact she had with other humans was through the internet, and sparse even there. It wasn't until one fateful encounter, a random, wrong-address email that sounded incredibly comical to her, that she finally fell into her current group. 

Due to a misplaced symbol, the email Dave was trying to send to another dealer never arrived. Instead, his wildly cursing rant about prices and pills found its way into Rose's inbox, piquing her fancy. She knew about drugs, her mother's gin-reeking breath ensured it, but to encounter someone so far-removed from her own situation was new and fascinating. And, without any further thought, she replied to the misfired message and stoked an implausible friendship. 

That year, when she finished her online education and received her diploma early, she made a decision. She wasn't going to stick around anymore and deal with her mother, who had become increasingly antagonistic about her online interactions. She simultaneously chastised Rose for engaging with a low-life such as Strider, which she judged from rare snippets of their Skype conversations, but didn't want her talking with anyone in the real world. She was forcing Rose into a situation where she was as bitterly alone as her mother had been in the past, and she wasn't going to stand for it. She packed her bags and procured a train ticket.

Then, her mother asked her to drink together. Under the intentions of reconnecting with her daughter, Rose's mother stoked a flame that ran within her as well, an unfortunate lust for the bottle, which left Rose that night out cold in the bathroom, slumped over the toilet. It was on that night that she swore two things. Firstly, she would only ever let her closest of friends know about how lousy a childhood she had and how lousy genetics left her prone to over-drinking. Secondly, she would never drink again. 

Now, as she sat next to John, it was clear she had violated the second promise, and likely the first as well. 

After she was done explaining her situation, and how she had ended up where she was, the both of them were silent. John was still buzzed, but not intoxicated enough to think he could even console her. He couldn't relate to her, not in the slightest, when it came to parents and upbringing and how things changed, beyond being the product of a single-parent home. Still, he wished deeply that he could say something, anything, to make it better. 

“Are you happy you ended up here?” John finally asked. 

“Mostly,” Rose replied, smiling weakly. “I have my complaints, obviously, but it's not bad. We're never pressed for money and I don't hate who I live with, or who I happen to meet along the way.” 

“That's good, at least. But what don't you like?”

“I guess I feel stuck. I don't know. Getting out of that horrible house, getting to change everything about myself, it gave me a taste for change. I'm getting bored with this all.”

“So you wanna leave?” 

“No, not leave. I want to be with Dave and Jade, I just want things to progress, perhaps. I want to be somewhere better, out of this broken-down ghetto. I want an place with more than one bathroom.” 

John chuckled, glad to see Rose sobering up, and lightening up as well. 

“What about you,” she countered, “are you content where you are?”

“I don't really know,” John admitted, shrugging. “It's definitely not bad, but I feel like I'm not getting anywhere either. I'm just going to community college and living with my dad. I don't even know what I want to do with my life.”

“Taking general studies, I assume.” 

John nodded. 

“Well, my only advice, not that you asked for it, is to take whatever chance you receive and seize it tightly. Life is a journey. Trading freedom for security, as has been said, is not the wisest trade.”

John stayed silent, leaning back on the couch. Even though it was only about ten at night, he already felt exhausted. Perhaps it was the alcohol, though more likely it was another stressful day from away home, but he already wanted to lay down and drift off into sleep. Then, he thought of a question. 

“Hey Rose, what was Dave talking about earlier?” 

“Hm?”

“He said that you getting drunk was my responsibility and I would just have to deal with it by myself. What did he mean? It's not like you did anything bad.”

“Well, usually when I partake of alcohol, I don't have anyone to stop me before I get horribly drunk. Taking care of me would mean making sure I make it to the bathroom before I puke, mostly.”

“Mostly?” John was already learning to pick apart her cryptic way of communicating. 

“I also tend to become very emotional when I drink. That has...varying consequences.” 

“Does that have something to do with what happened last time, when Dave was the one to take care of you?”

Rose broke her gaze with John and cleared her throat. 

“You could say that.”

“Did he...you know,” John fumbled through his sensitive question, “take advantage of you?”

“Oh no, not at all!” Rose looked at Egbert again, reassuring him. “We were both very, very intoxicated, so I really don't blame him for it. In fact, if what I remember is correct, the eventual outcome was my fault entirely.” 

“And there are pictures?” 

“Now that decision might have been coerced.” 

“Then why don't you just make Dave get rid of them? Even if he can be mean, he surely wouldn't just keep torturing you about it for no reason.”

“Firstly, you obviously don't know him well enough because that's exactly the kind of thing he would do. Secondly, he does have a very good reason. He's using it as insurance. It's something you'll become familiar with if you stay here long enough. As soon as he gets something, anything, that would be potentially detrimental to you, whether it be blackmail photos or a hold over your living situation, he'll make sure you remember the consequences of crossing him.”

John leaned back on the couch and sighed. 

“Dave really seems like an asshole,” he stated plainly. 

“Indeed,” Rose agreed. 

Lalonde then said she was going back to her room to get on her computer and write a bit before bed. John, having no reason to keep her any longer, bade her farewell. After having a glass of water and stowing their leftovers in the fridge, he was too tired to stay up watching television. He was asleep only moments after he laid down.


	8. Eight

The next morning, John woke up feeling particularly rough. His head was sore and pounding and his entire body felt achy and sluggish. He decided it probably would be a good idea to lay off any illicit substances for a while if they were going to make him feel like this. 

It was about noon by the time he felt stable enough to get up and walk around. Rose's door was open, he found when he went to use the restroom, and she was out. The doors to the other bedrooms were closed, but John didn't feel like bothering anyone this time. 

Walking back into the kitchen, John decided to microwave his leftovers from the night before. Rose's remaining food was gone, which meant either someone was up early in the morning to nab them, which he doubted, or Rose had eaten before she left earlier, which was more likely. He was surprised that she didn't wake him up, but seeing how terrible and groggy he felt that morning, perhaps it wasn't that strange. 

Closing the fridge, he noted there was a note attached to the it with a magnet. It was scribbled on a torn-off piece of paper in messy handwriting, which was a dead-giveaway that Dave had written it. It read:

'John, go wake up Harley whenever you haul your ass off the couch. You're taking her shopping. Card is under the ice tray.'

Yep, it was Dave all right. John was a little confused about what it meant, but he went ahead and opened the freezer. Sure enough, under the ice tray was a silver credit card in Dave's name. John pocketed it quickly and heated up his lunch. He downed it quickly, barely even tasting it, and then went down the hall to retrieve Jade. 

A knock on the door netted no response. A second did nothing as well. Finally, on orders from Dave's note, he turned the handle and cracked open the door. 

“Jade?” John called inside. 

No response. 

Walking inside, he could indeed see Harley on her bed, wrapped up in wrapped in a blanket with her back to him. Her dark hair was splayed out behind her, pinned under a large pair of headphones. John approached, cautious not to step on any of the plushes on the floor, and stopped at her bedside. Carefully, he laid a hand on her should and-

Before he could react, John received a swift punch to the stomach as Jade whipped around and yelped. After delivering the blow, she fumbled and fell onto the floor as John doubled over in pain and shock. 

“Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!” Jade apologized, trying to wrestle out of her tangled blanket. 

John gasped for breath, the wind knocked out of him. 

“I'm sorry, sorry!” She repeated, finally standing. 

“It's okay,” John finally consoled her in a very pained voice after he could breathe again. 

“I was asleep,” she explained, “and Dave knows how to wake me up without giving me a fright. I guess he didn't tell you?”

“Not at all.”

“Why are you waking me up anyway?” Harley finally wondered. 

“I got a note from Dave. He said I'm supposed to take you shopping.”

“Oh right!” She perked up, heading over to her closet to get dressed. “Today's the day I get to go out and get new things. Mostly new stuff for shows, since my old stuff gets worn out pretty quickly.” 

She picked out a dress, then continued. 

“Usually Dave takes me out, but I guess he's busy today. Plus, he hates it! So it makes sense he'd make you take me if he can.”

“No offense, but why can't you go by yourself?”

“I guess he doesn't trust me with his money,” she proposed, shrugging. “And I guess he doesn't want me getting too comfortable, thinking I'm free and all.” 

“What do you mean?” John was perplexed. “It's not like he owns you.” 

Jade stopped, but didn't look to John. 

“I owe him a lot. Not just money, but a lot of that too. He's the reason I'm here, the reason I'm not worse off...Anyway, I'm gonna get dressed,” het voice lightened up again. “You're free to stay if you'd like,” she giggled, pulling up her pajama shirt. 

John quickly exited the room, his face flushed a bright red, and made his way to the couch to sit and wait. 

A while later, Jade came out of her room, clad in a black sweater dress, green patterned tights, and leather ankle boots. Slipping on an a dark gray pea-coat, she was prepared to leave. John wore what he had been wearing for the past two days straight, which was starting to bother him. Making sure he had the card, and that Jade had a key to the house, the two left, locking the door behind them. 

“Where are we going?” John asked, realizing her didn't have the slightest clue. 

“We're going to the bus stop now,” she answered, heading off in the direction opposite that John and Dave had gone the day before to do their deal. 

“Then?”

“The mall, of course,” Jade turned to John and stuck out her tongue, revealing the same silver stud he had seen before. 

After walking only a couple of blocks away, they arrived at a small, sheltered bus stop. No one else was waiting there, being that it was one in the afternoon on a weekday with all the kids in school and adults at work. 

When the bus finally arrived, the two boarded, Jade paying for both of their fairs, and sat next to each other in the second row from the front. Jade assured that the ride wouldn't be more than fifteen minutes or so. 

“So Jade,” John finally began only moments into their ride.

“Yeah, John?”

“I wanna know more about you.”

“All right,” she smiled, “shoot!” 

“Well, where were you before you were living with Dave.” 

Her smile faded in an instant. 

“I don't really wanna talk about that.”

“Oh, sorry,” John swallowed nervously. 

“It's fine,” she brightened back up, “why don't you ask something else?” 

“All right,” John nodded, mulling over the proposition for a moment. “Did your tongue piercing hurt?”

“That's kind of a silly question,” she giggled, “of course it hurt. Dave bought it for me when I first moved in.”

“Did you want to get it?” 

“Yeah! I mean, he told me about it and how nice it would feel, so I went and got it.”

“Does it feel good?” He asked, not sure what that meant. 

“I dunno, you'd have to ask Dave that,” she giggled again, making John's face turn crimson again. 

“So, you and Dave are...dating?” John changed the subject. 

“Not really. I mean, we have sex and make out, but we're not in love or anything,” she answered in a surprisingly neutral and truthful manner. “We can both be with other people if we want to. I guess it's kind of a friends with benefits thing? Oh come on, stop blushing!” Jade laughed. 

John didn't respond, feeling very out of his element. 

“It's not like you've never been in that kind of situation, right?” 

“Well, uh, I've never actually even...you know?” 

“Oh,” she said plainly, taken aback before grinning sweetly again. “Well I won't tease you about it. It's nothing to be ashamed of!” She tried to reassure him, only furthering his embarrassment. 

After a few minutes of awkward silence, they arrived at the mall, exiting the bus and walking into the massive amalgamation of shops. Even though it was off-peak hours, the place was still buzzing with college kids and soccer moms, toting stuffed bags. It was only a few weeks before Christmas, which was already beginning to show in the crowds. 

Jade took John's hand so as not to lose him in the mass of bodies and led the way to her favorite lingerie store. Egbert had qualms about going in, but he was assured by Harley that it was fine, and if anyone asked, he could simply say Jade was his girl friend. 

Surrounded by skimpy things and frilly things, John stood with his hands dug deep into his pockets, trying to take up as small a space as possible. Every time he saw an errant shopper look his direction, he felt as though they were judging him for being in such a place, even though they clearly weren't. He tailed Harley as she walked through the store, picking up things to try on and remarking on items. The comments fell on deaf ears. 

When she was done making her selections, she pulled him by the sleeve to the back of the store, where the dressing rooms were, and then attempted to pull him into one. 

“Whoa, whoa, there's no way I'm going in there with you,” he stopped dead in his tracks. 

“Come on,” Jade pleaded, pulling to no avail. He was much bigger, and stronger, than she was. “Dave always came in with me! I need a second opinion on how things look.” 

John began to give her a refusal in his most serious tone, but couldn't get the first word out when he saw her finely honed begging look. Being a push-over when it came down to brass tacks, he slipped into the room with her, after making sure no one was looking. 

Once inside, Jade started undressing, placing her coat on the hook. John saw no more, sitting on the stool in the cramped compartment and turning to face the corner. Dressed in her first choice a few moments later, she tapped John on the shoulder, who carefully turned around to see Jade wearing a emerald green, lace teddy with cut-outs on the sides, revealing her paw print tattoo. 

“How does it look?” Jade inquired. 

“Nice,” John responded, trying not to blush. 

“Just nice?” 

“Cute.”

Jade giggled. 

“All right, you can turn back around again.”

John did as he was told, already feeling like he was doing something wrong. True, he had been ordered to do this, and Jade clearly didn't find it intrusive, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't right. It wasn't that he had a problem with it, certainly not, but this being the closest he had come to a naked woman his age in well, ever, made him feel strange. And a little bit turned on. 

Another tap on the shoulder ordered him to turn around, finding her this time in a sheer black slip and garters. She turned to show him the panties, matching black lace, which were visible in the short back. 

“Look's good,” he choked out. 

“You don't think it's too short?”

He shook his head.

Jade nodded, and he turned around once more. After a slightly longer wait, he was tapped again. 

When he turned around this time, he was greeted by a very-nearly-naked Harley in a light blue bra and thong. She posed with one hand on her hip and the other on the back of her head, every curve of her body now plainly visible. John could see the tattoo indeed ran all the way up her side, stopping just below the joint of her shoulder and torso. He could also see that her slightly tan complexion was natural, or that she got completely naked in the tanning booth, since her bronzed flesh was uniform, even in her barely-there panties. 

That was the last straw. John could not longer hide his embarrassment, face going full scarlet. He also could no longer hide the fact that he was very, very aroused, as was evident by his jeans. 

Jade giggled, jokingly posing again. 

“I can see I have your approval,” she smiled impishly, then leaned in towards John. “You know, I bet no one knows we're even in here. We could have a quickie and no one would even notice.” 

John was petrified, not answering. He knew this was way over the line, way out of his normal range, but something deep inside him wanted to spring up and rip whatever was left on her off. This strange, deviant spark was something he had only felt the day before, after unintentionally knocking out the cheating client. This weird flame of delinquency seemed to be growing stronger

Jade then stepped forward and perched herself on his lap, grinding against him. Their lips met as Jade kissed him, slipping her tongue into his mouth. John felt like he was outside of his own body looking in on the situation, and felt his hands creep towards her ass, clutching her flesh tightly. Harley then pulled from his lips and then turned her attention to his neck, kissing it and giggling. She went to unhook her bra, but John stopped her, finally regaining control. 

“No, wait,” he protested. She stopped, putting her hands down. 

“I don't want to do this,” he admitted, frowning. 

“Why not?” Jade asked, confused. 

“I...” John paused, realizing just how what we was going to say sounded and blushing, “I want my first time to be special.”

Jade dismounted. 

“I know it sounds stupid but-”

“No!” Jade cut in. “It's not stupid. It's your choice, John, and that's great. If you want your first time to mean something, then that's what you want,” she smiled, “and I won't take that away from you.” 

John sighed in relief, thankful that Jade was understanding of his situation. 

Jade got dressed, with Egbert averting his eyes as per usual, then gathered up the clothing and left the dressing room. Paying with Dave's card, Jade hauled off a hefty bag of lingerie and the pair left the mall without a word to each other until they were on the bus again. 

“Hey Jade?” 

“Yeah John?”

“Thanks.” 

“For what?” 

“I don't know,” he half shrugged, “for not forcing me into anything, I guess.”

“Oh jeez, I would never do anything like that! That's terrible. And I totally understand the first time thing. I'm actually kinda jealous that you're smart about that! I wish I had been...but that's all in the past,” she smiled, “and that's nothing to get upset over.” 

John nodded. 

“Just make sure,” Jade added, “that you really love that person. Cause whether or not you want to, you're gonna remember them for the rest of your life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's weird writing sexual scenes in something that isn't just straight up porn, but I'm going to have to get used to it with this fic. Anyway, I feel like this is coming along better than I expected. More coming soon.


	9. Nine

By the time Jade and John made it home, it was almost three. Rose was again having a cup of tea when they entered the house, almost as if she had been waiting for them to get there. Jade thanked John for taking her out, then headed to her room to put away her new lingerie. John headed over to the couch and plopped down, sighing. 

“How was the shopping?” Rose asked, still sipping her tea. 

“It was...confusing,” he said, face already growing hot over what little had happened. 

“Hm?”

“I kind of...” John trailed off. 

“Yes?”

“Well, see, I was in the dressing room with her to give her a second opinion and things got out of hand and-”

“You had sex with her?” Rose interrupted, a bit surprised. 

“No! No, I just kissed her. It was weird. I stopped her before we did anything else.”

“Oh, well that's nothing,” Rose laughed. “I mean, everyone's made out with Jade. It's practically a requirement to stay here.” 

“I know, it's no big deal, I just...it's weird for me still, all right?”

“I know, I know. I don't mean to make fun of you. You just seem to get worked up over such minor things. I can't help but find it interesting.”

“It's fine,” he sighed. “So, does that mean you've kissed Jade too?” 

“More than that,” she grinned slyly. “But that's all in the past, just a bit of fun.”

John was starting to get desensitized to all the things that would make him blush at this point. He was overdosing on embarrassment. 

“Is Dave still out?” John asked a few moments later. 

“Yes. He left around the time I did.”

“Do you know where he is?”

“No idea. He did say he had something important to do, however.”

John nodded, not thinking about anything in particular. He wasn't upset to have Dave out of the house, in fact he much preferred the company of either of the ladies, but he still wondered. Strider's life, how he made a living for himself, still had Egbert fascinated. 

“So, where did you go this morning?” John asked. 

“I went to a book signing downtown.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I had a few people come out. We went out to lunch and talked about my books. It was nice.”

“Wow, I didn't know you were that popular,” John said, astonished. 

“It's nothing, really,” Rose blushed, “it was just a couple of fans that always come out to meet me.”

“Still, you have fans! That's awesome.”

“Thank you.” 

“I guess I never asked, but what kinds of books do you write.”

“Fiction,” she replied, “mostly fantasy. But really, it's nothing important. Just ramblings.”

“No, I bet it's wonderful! I'll have to read them sometime.”

“Thanks again,” she grinned sweetly, not used to having so much attention given to her writing by her housemates. 

After finishing her tea, she placed the cup in the sink and walked into the living room, turning on the TV. 

“Do you mind if I sit next to you?” Rose asked, foregoing her normal position on the loveseat. 

“Uh, no, go right ahead,” John answered. He wasn't sure exactly why she had asked since he didn't mind at all. 

With the TV on, the two of them got comfortable and settled in on the couch, Rose taking one of the thick, knit afghans she had made and wrapping up in it for warmth. While it wasn't particularly chilly, her shorts and t-shirt didn't provide much escape from the cool air. They were watching some sort of medical drama, something that Rose was following, and John just tuned everything out, still feeling worn down from that morning. 

Egbert was brought back to reality when he felt Rose's arms curl around one of his own, leaning up against him and laying her head on his shoulder. He wasn't sure what to do, and a slight feeling of panic bubbled up inside him for a moment, but dissolved just as quickly. This was...nice. Very nice. He had forgotten just how comfortable it felt to have real human contact, at least the kind that didn't involve the other party being stripped down to their undergarments. 

John liked this, and not feeling threatened of on edge was more soothing than one could imagine. In fact, it wasn't long before he closed his eyes and found himself drifting between sleep and consciousness, still feeling Rose's warm body on his side and hearing the faint mumble of the television. 

That all changed when the door opened, slamming against the wall with a bang. Rose shot away quickly, pressing herself on the other end of the couch, as far away from John as she could manage to be. Dave was home, John quickly learned as he shook out of his sleepiness and looked towards the door, seeing Strider setting down a drawstring bag. Once the door was closed and locked tight, he picked the bag carefully back up again and went over to the living room, sitting in the vacant love seat. 

“Welcome home, Strider. Could you have been any more intrusive about it?” Rose frowned. 

“Oh shut up,” he snapped, “Not in the mood. Besides, I have something important to show you.”

Rose was bitter over Dave's word choice, but stayed quiet, more interested in what he was pulling out of the bag. What it turned out to be, which left both Rose and John wide-eyed, was a small, black pistol. Dave held it up, finger off the trigger, and smiled. 

“An M&P Shield, nine millimeter. Nice, right?”

“Dave, what the hell do you think you're doing by bringing a gun into this house?” Rose was furious. 

“Calm the hell down, I'm just giving us a little extra protection! Shit, you're not the one out there like I am.”

“You're an idiot. Do you really think you're any safer carrying that thing around? You're going to get yourself killed. I'm done with this.”

Rose got up and strode back to her bedroom, closing the door. 

“Women, right?” Dave joked. 

John didn't respond, feeling very sour over what had just happened. 

“Hey,” Dave smiled, “you ever held a gun before?”

John shook his head. 

Turning it around and holding it by the short barrel, he handed the firearm to John, who took it cautiously. It was cold and heavier than he expected, and felt dangerous just being in his hands. This was the second time John had been outside his comfort zone today, but this time it didn't feel exciting, but as frigid as the weapon in his hands. Carefully, he handed it back to Strider. 

“It's a great piece,” Dave said, looking it over again, “not too big, but still can take someone down if they're get too close. I've been meaning to get something like this for a while, just didn't want to spend the money. Customer offered it as payment. Usually I'd turn them down, but this is the only thing I'd sub for cash right now.”

John nodded, feeling very awkward. 

“Anyway,” Dave continued, putting the gun back in the bag, “how was shopping?”

“It went fine.”

“My Harley find everything she needed?”

“I think so.”

“Good, good,” Dave grinned. “Anyway, leftovers for dinner.” 

Without another word, he stood up and went into his room, taking the bag with him. John sat still, feeling uncomfortable. He had been happy earlier, when Rose was with him, but having Dave intrude got him into a discontented mood. He was also getting pretty hungry by then, which was unfortunate since he didn't have any leftovers from the night before. With nothing left to do, he stood up and walked down the hall, knocking on Rose's door. 

“What do you want?” She asked from within. 

“I just wanted to know if-” 

“Oh, John, it's you. Come in.”

Entering, John found Rose in her pajamas, a silk bathrobe over a lilac slip, at her desk, typing away. 

“I was just wondering what you were going to do for dinner,” John stated. 

“No idea. I figure there's something in there we can eat.”

“Oh, no, I was just-”

“That's what you were really asking,” she turned to look at him, “what it is that you can have.”

John looked down. She was right. 

“It's no big deal,” she turned back to her screen, “I'm sure there's something in there. Dave, I assume, said we would be having leftovers?”

Egbert nodded. 

“Figures,” she sighed, closing her laptop. 

The two then left her room, arriving in the kitchen. Rose searched through the fridge to no avail, only finding drinks and basic ingredients. They had been cleaned out, it seems. 

“Oh fuck this,” Rose scoffed, “We're going out. John, get ready.” 

Stomping back to her room, Rose was prepared in just a few minutes, coming back out with the same t-shirt on from before with the addition of longer jeans and a hoodie. John was prepared once putting on his jacket and shoes, and the two left the house.


End file.
